Rail bond



B. H. RYDER RAIL BOND June l2, 1928. 1,673,424

Filed Sept. 22. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w# M @Hen/.lder

Afm@

June 12, 1928. 1,673,424

B. H. RYDER RAIL BOND `Filed Sept: 22. 1921 y 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedJune 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

BEN H. RYDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN STEEL ANDWIRE COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF NEW JERSEY.

,Application filed September 22, 1921.

My invention relates to rail bonds, and

more particularly to rail bonds of the com-1 the bond terminals to thedesired part of the track rails may be readily and quickly accomplished,in a strong and durable manner, and a bond connection of highconductivity is obtained.

Another object of the invention. is the provision of a rail bond havinga conductor of cuprous metal and composite terminals having a center orbody portion of cuprous or other metal of high electrical conductivity,and an outer shell of ferrous metal adapted to be readily welded tosteel rails, the terminal shells being adapted to engage or contact withthe surfaceof the track rails and to be directly connectedpr unitedthereto b the welding metal used in uniting the bon terminals to thetrack rails.

Still further objects of this invention consist in the provision of railbonds having the novel constructions and composition of parts shown inthe drawings, to be described more fully hereinafter and to bearticularly pointed outin the appended c aims. Broadly, my inventioninvolves the application of terminal shells in the-form of receptaclesopen on one side and formed of steel or similar'metal to the ends ofbond' conductors formed of copper, copper alloys, or other metal of highelectrical conductivity. Such a terminal having an outer skin or face ofsteel or similar metal which may be readily welded to the steel rails inthe field is essential. In making m improved rail bond, the end of theterminal is inserted in the terminal shell, and is melted therein, theshell being filled by melting therein additional metal of substantiallythe .same coinposition as the conductor. Being fused together, avperfect weld or union between the copper and steel or similar metalsforming the conductor and composite terminal is thus secured, and A'theterminal is finished `by a forging operation.

RAIL BOND.

Serial No. 502,430.

Referring now to the drawings forming part/of this specification, Figurel is a side elevation showing a rail bond, of the long terminal typeembodying the novel features of my invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation, showing the rail bond of Figure l asapplied for use to the flange of a track rail;

Figure 3 isa perspective view showing one form of metal shell used inbuliding up or forming the composite rail bond terminals of my improvedrail bond;

Y Figure 4 Ais a similar perspective view showing the terminal shell of`Figure 3 and an end of the rail bond conductor, as positionedtherein atone stage in the manufacture of the rail bond.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the metal shell of Figures 3 and4 as filled with the molten metal forming the center and body portion ofthe terminals at a later stage in the manufacture of the terminals;

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the built up or compositeterminal of Figure 5 at the completion of the forging or terminalshaping operation, by which the built up terminal o Figure 5 iscompacted and.

made more dense and finished to the desired size and contour;

Figure 7 is a perspective View similar to Figure 5 showing a modifiedforni of metal shell, as filled with molten cuprous metal in forming thebody or center of the termi- 'nal in accorda-nce with this invention;

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the terminal of Figure 7 at thecompletion of the forging or formingr operation, in which the bodyportion or the built up terminal is compacted and made more dense, andthe terminal is finished to size and contour;

Figure 9 is a perspective view showingv a modified form of terminalshell r`made in accordance with my invention;

Figure 10 is a perspective View showing the blank from which the shellof F igure9 is formed;

Figure 1,1 is a perspective View showing a further modified form ofterminal made in accordance with my invention;

Fi re 12 is a sectional end elevation showing the formof terminal ofFigure 1l unitedto a rail connected by means of a 'Webber rail joint.

In theaccompanying drawings, referring now to Figures 1 and 2, thenumeral 2 designates the conductor of a rail bond having terminals 3 onthe ends thereof. The terminals 3, which as shown are of the longterminal type, are formed of an outer shell 4 which is made of steel orsimilar metal adapted to be readily welded to a steel rail, and a centeror body portion 5 formed of copper, a copper alloy, or metal of similarhigh electrical conductivity. Ordinarily the conductor 2 will be made ofa strand of copper wires, although when desired it may be laminated, insuch case being formed of a series of fiat, thin, copper strips, or maybe made of a solid bar or rod, as will be readily understood.

In makin rail bonds embodying my invention, a Iiollow, relatively thinwalled, trough-like metal shell will be formed, either by forging from asolid bar of suitable size and shape, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, or bybending out of a sheet iof steel in the manner shown in Figures 9 and10. In making terminal shells like those of Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, orthose of Figures 7,. 8, and 11, the end of a bar or rod of suitable sizeand composition will be heated and'then drop for ed to produce thetrough-like shells. T e end ofthe shell of Figures 3 and 7 will bepunched or drilled to provide an opening 6 through which an end of theconductor 2 is inserted in the manner' shown in Figure 4 in preparationfor the later termina] building or forming operations. In makingterminal shells like those of Figure 9, a piece of thin metal plate willfirst be cut to form a blank shaped as shown in Figure 10, having acentral portion l0, wing portions 11, and an end portion 13. Thefiatblank of Figure 10 will then be stamped or pressed so as to form ahollow shell 4,

'with the wings 11 bent up to form the cylindrical end portion 12thereon provided with an opening 6 to receive one end 3 of the bondtermlnal 2. The opposite end is closed by bending up the portion 13. Themetal shell, after being forged or shaped, will be cleaned so as toremove any scale or rust on the inner surfaces thereof. An end of theconductor 2 is then inserted through theopening 6 or 6', beingtelescoped within the metal shell as far as 1t will go, as shown inFigure 4. Instead of telescoping the end of the conductor within theshell for the full length of the shell, in the manner shown in Figure 4,the end of the terminal may be nserted only partA way therein, as willbe readily understood.

An electric are is inner surface of the shell and to melt the end of theconductor, and an end of a rod of metal of the same composition as theconductor is introduced into the arc and sufficient metal meltedtherefrom to completely fill the shell or trough. The metal then used tofuse the shell may be heated preliminary to melting the conductor endand the metal rod, and a suitable fiux may be used to prevent oxidationand cause the molten metal to weld effectively to the inner surface ofthe shell. This molten metal consisting, as it does, partly of theconductor melted down, will be fused to and firmly united with theconductor end.

The terminals 3 after being built up or formed with a body portion 5within the shell 4, in the manner which has been described, are thendrop forged, in dies provided with cavities of the required shape andsize. The terminals will be built up of somewhat larger size than thatof the completed terminal, so that in the later forging operation, thecuprous or copper center or body portion of the terminals will becoinpacted and made more dense and, at the same time, the compositeterminals will he shaped to finished size and contour. After beingremoved from the forging dies, the flash or fin, which forms on theedges of the terminals in the forging operation, will he removed byshearing or in any other suitable manner, and with the removal of theflash or fin, the bond terminal is completed. A terminal will beconstructed on each end of the conductor 2, in the manner which has beendescribed, in making a complete rail bond.

In the application of the rail bonds to the track rails Aas shown inFigure 2, the flat side of the terminal 3, preferably, will be inengagement with the rail flange or such other part of the rail to whichit 1s to be semetal of the rail, so that the difiiculties heretoforeexperienced in welding two dissimllar metals or metals of differentelectrical conductivity are'avoided and overcome.

In building up the terminals of Figures 7 and 8, 9 and l0, and 11, thesame steps will be employed, and the same results will be obtained ashave been described in connection with the terminals of the otherfigures of the drawings.

The form of terminal 14 shown in Figures 11 and 12 is provided with afiattened side 15 adapted to be placed in contact with the head of therail 16, and is further provided with a sloping surface 17 which is adated to receive the welding metal 18 b w ich the terminal is joined tothe rail. .Ihe flat Welding of the rail bonds to the track rails by theuse of the electric Varc is more readily accomplished, and whereby theformation of the composite terminals is eiected in a simple, rapid,inexpensive and highly novel l manner.

` Many modifications in the construction of the rail bond terminals maybe made, by those skilled inthe art, Without departing from my inventionas defined in the appendend claims.

- I claim 1. A rail bond comprising a conductor formed of copper,andyterminals united to each end of said conductor, said terminalscomprising a shell formed of steel, the shell containing a copper coreintegrally connected to the conductor and fused to the shell, said corebeing composed of a portion of said conductor and additional metal addedin a molten state so as to provide a greater cross section of metal thanin said conductor and said shell 'being adapted to receive attachingmetal for welding the terminal to a rail.

2. A rail bond comprising a conductor formed of cuprous metal andelongated terminals, with the terminals fused to the ends of saidconductor, said terminals comprising a couprous metal core composed of aportion of said conductor and additional like metal added in a moltenstate so as to provide a greater cross section of metal than in saidconductor, and a ferrous metal shell fused to said core, said. terminalshells being adapted to receive attaching metal fused thereto in applyinthe rail bond for use.

In testimony w ereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

l BEN H. RYDER.

